


Summerday

by beingsydneycarton



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Minor Violence, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-09
Updated: 2015-08-15
Packaged: 2018-01-11 19:14:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1176844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beingsydneycarton/pseuds/beingsydneycarton
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blood covered everything. 'Creators! Why is everything so damn bloody?' she thought as she dragged her prey, completely different from what she usually hunted, back to camp. It was his fault really, he hadn't announced himself and had gotten in Tamlen's line of fire. Now, instead of searching the ruins they'd heard about, Mahariel and Tamlen had to drag the stupid shemlen back to camp. Great.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>What if Tamlen and Arryn Mahariel had never found the mirror that changed their lives forever? A small drabble about how their relationship would have developed with some flashbacks into Mahariel's childhood.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Red Hands

**Author's Note:**

> This is a bit different from my usual writing style, but its quite fun to play with. Please leave comments on how to make this work better or just opinions in general! This idea came to me during one of my various playthroughs and I couldn't wait to write it.

Blood covered everything. 'Creators! Why is everything so damn bloody?' she thought as she dragged her prey, completely different from what she usually hunted, back to camp. It was his fault really, he hadn't announced himself and had gotten in Tamlen’s line of fire. Now, instead of searching the ruins they'd heard about, Mahariel and Tamlen had to drag the stupid shemlen back to camp. Great.  
“Do you think the shem were lying about the ruins, Arryn?” Tamlen grunted as he shifted the man’s weight. For an old dude, he is heavy.  
Arryn Mahariel, Dalish Hunter and experienced archer, laughed. “I see no reason a shemlen would have to tell the truth.” she said the word with disgust and looked at the human whose arm was slung over her shoulder. The man had to be in his 50s, but his body was all muscle encased in armour.  
“But still, written elvish, lethallin. I think we should check it out.” his eyes were wide with excitement.  
“You mean after we drag the shem you shot back to camp? In your dreams, Tamlen, Keeper Marethari’s going to have a fit.” Arryn snorted at Tamlen’s look of embarrassment and sighed. “I wonder why he was here, anyway. He’s obviously well-off, look at his armour, and skilled enough to have a Dalish hunter be near him completely unawares.”  
“Maybe he’s a bandit.” he suggested even though he knew otherwise. “Either way, you should do the talking when Keeper finally spots us, you’ve always had a way with her.”  
Arryn nodded and concentrated on dragging the shem to the edges of the clan’s camp. She knew that they would be in big trouble as soon as Marethari saw the bleeding shem, but Arryn was really in for it. As far as the Keeper knew, she was supposed to be helping Master Ilen with his craft, not getting into trouble with Tamlen. But I just can’t resist, can I? she smiled outwardly and thought about how they got into this mess. 

“I’m surprised you even decided to show up, da’len.” Master Ilen had laughed. “We both know that as soon as I turn my back you’ll be off into the woods after Tamlen.” he had handed her leather and she started to work on it.  
“Somehow Ashalle managed to work a promise out of me.” Arryn smiled and held out the reworked leather.  
Master Ilen looked her up and down and sighed. “I know you aren’t going to be happy until you’re out there hunting, so go.” he gestured for her to leave. “Just bring me back some ironbark, da’len!”  
With that, she had sprinted into the woods with her bow and quiver over her shoulder and daggers strapped to her legs. Arryn didn’t have to even think about where she was going, she knew the forest and tracked Tamlen with ease. When she came upon him, he had his bow drawn and pointed at three shem.  
“Just in time, lethallin.” he smiled at her, but didn’t take his eyes off the shem. “I found these shem in the forest. Bandits? Scavengers? I can never decide.”  
Arryn laughed inwardly. Tamlen’s first reaction to shem was: bandits. Not that he wasn’t right most of the time, but still. She had her bow drawn as they spoke of ruins with treasure. One of the shem handed Tamlen a carving from the aforementioned ruins. Both her and her hunting partner were surprised to find written elvish on the piece of stone. They had just let the shem go and decided to head towards the ruins when this other shemlen jumped from the trees. 

It was only Arryn’s quick kick to Tamlen’s bow that caused the arrow to fly into his shoulder instead of his heart. Not that Marethari needed to know that. She sighed and called to the scouts at the entrance to the camp. If her previous chidings had been rains, Arryn Mahariel knew that this one would be a hurricane.


	2. Reckoning

“Da’len.” Marethari’s voice was filled with disappointment.

“Keeper, I swe-”

“Da’len-”

“Keeper! It wasn’t his fault!” Arryn interrupted, wincing through Marethari’s glare.

“How many times have I asked you two to be patient? Hunting is about patience as well as it is accuracy.” Marethari sighed. “Luckily, Tamlen isn’t much for the latter, or he could have killed an innocent man.”

Arryn kept her mouth shut, not wanting Marethari to know just how close Tamlen had come.

“Now, now, Keeper,” a voice swelled gruffly from the corner, “I wasn’t exactly forthcoming upon startling the scouts. They believed I was a threat and acted accordingly, and I do not blame them.”

“Be as that may, Duncan, it could have been far worse.” Marethari said. “As for you,” she turned back to Arryn, “you are dismissed. We will talk about this later.”

Arryn nodded to Marethari and looked at the shadowy shem. “I apologize for the pain I have caused you.”

The shem looked at her curiously, but said nothing.

_Strange man._

******

The bright sunlight filtered through the leaves of the trees and warmed Arryn’s face as she rested against Tamlen. Birds chirped and animals scurried around, none minding the two elves or their quiet contemplation.

“Thank you.” Tamlen said, breaking the silence.

“Always.” said Mahariel. He shifted their weight so she would be more comfortable and wrapped one arm around her. Mahariel opened a single eye and studied him. “You’re quite pretty for a elf, you know?” She laughed and evaded the playful punch Tamlen threw her way.

“And you’re quite pretty for a demon.” He countered.

“You wound me.” She bemoaned.

His face softened. Tamlen reached out and gently traced the dark lines that wound around her eyes and face, strong branches of a tree reworked into something amazing on her forehead. “Beautiful.” Arryn opened her mouth to say something when she heard her name shouted in camp. “Duty calls.” Tamlen said, turning away.

******

“You know, I was having a moment.” Mahariel complained to the shem. Duncan, he was called, and he was a Grey Warden. “Not that it matters to someone like you, but anyway.”

“You interest me.” He said, ignoring her rant. “Tell me, do you know of darkspawn?”

Arryn stopped walking and looked up at the trees. “Yes. I am very aware of what is occurring in the Korcari Wilds. The forest is scared, and my people will have to leave soon.” She sighed and continued walking, Duncan alongside her.

“And do you know much about the Wardens?” He asked.

“Your job is to stop the Blights, by any and all means possible.” She said.

“Indeed. To do this we need the best of the best-”

Arryn quickly interrupted him. “No.” She could hear the voices of her friends from the camp nearby and feel their curious eyes on her and the Warden. “This is my home.”

Duncan stared at her for a second and then nodded. “As you wish.”

Arryn watched as the man walked back to the camp, and she was reminded of a song she had once heard while scouting a tavern years back.

_Grey Warden, Grey Warden,_

_your armour is worn_

_and all of your bowstrings_

_are all but torn._

_Grey Warden, Grey Warden,_

_what will you do?_

_The light recedes,_

_there’s no one but you_

_Grey Warden, Grey Warden,_

_just one final slice._

_It’s like they say,_

_in death, sacrifice._

Mulling over the words of the song, Arryn walked to the Keeper’s tent. The Keeper had summoned her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I've ignored this! The fix-it-fix is back!

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry this chapter was so short! I have more coming, I promise!


End file.
